1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a guitar conversion system and method, and more particularly to a guitar that can be readily assembled and disassembled.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The guitar is one of the most popular instruments utilized in the music industry, covering a vast array of music. In genres including blues, bluegrass, country, flamenco, folk, jazz, jota, mariachi, metal, punk, reggae, rock, soul, and many forms of pop, guitars are considered a primary instrument. Guitars can be divided into two broad categories, acoustic and electric. There are three main types of modern acoustic guitars, the classical guitar (nylon-string guitar), the steel-string acoustic guitar, and the arch top guitar. Vibration of strings produces the tone of an acoustic guitar, amplified by the body of the guitar, acting as a resonating chamber. Another type of guitar is the electric guitar. Electric guitars utilize an amplifier adapted to electronically manipulate tone. Electric guitars have had a continuing profound influence on popular culture.
Electric guitar bodies can be constructed having solid, semi-hollow, or hollow bodies. Conventional electric guitar bodies are constructed of solid wood. Without the use of an amplifier, electric guitars produce little sound. Electromagnetic pickups convert vibration of the steel strings into signals. Signals are then fed to an amplifier through a cable or radio transmitter. Sound is frequently modified by other electronic devices or the natural distortion of valves (vacuum tubes) in the amplifier. Magnetic pickups, passive or active, include two main types, single- and double-coil (humbucker). Electric guitars utilize techniques less frequently used on acoustic guitars owing to the electric guitars having lower fretboard action (the height of the strings from the fingerboard), lighter (thinner) strings, and its electrical amplification. Such techniques include tapping, extensive legato use through pull-offs and hammer-ons (also known as slurs), pinch harmonics, volume swells, and use of a tremolo arm or effects pedals. Hybrids of acoustic and electric guitars, including varieties of guitars with two, three, or rarely four necks, have been provided with all manners of alternate string arrangements.
Guitars can be a costly purchase for musicians and hobbyists, and many guitar enthusiasts are confronted with the cost. Bodies of electric guitars come in an array of designs, colors, shapes and sizes. Hybrid guitars and the like have become increasingly popular for musicians, however due to the specialty and custom nature of these guitars they can be quite costly and represent a substantial investment.
Costs can immediately be prohibitive when dealing with hybrid instruments or custom made guitar instruments. Expending large sums of money for a custom or hybrid guitar may not be feasible or practical for many musicians or consumers for many reasons, including cost considerations as well as change in tastes. Specifically, ones tastes can change over time so that what was once considered a “hot” custom guitar style or design may become “dated” just a short time later. Typical attempts to address this issue have fallen flat, and generally merely involve slight modifications on existing guitars.
Another problem with current guitars is that of transportability and storage. Many musicians and consumers spend a great deal of money on transportation of instrument and, specifically guitars.
Various guitar constructs have been provided that provide the ability to fold or otherwise collapse or disassemble guitars. These constructs are generally associated with the purpose of making the instrument more compact for travel and/or storage. Typically, the assembly includes a guitar body with a neck that can be removed from the body to make the instrument more compact. Other assemblies provide a neck that is pivotally connected to a guitar body so that the neck can be rotated downward or folded over the guitar body to create a compact manner for storage and or travel. These attempts have had limited success and are costly while posing risks to vigor of the instrument as the instrument is frequently taken reassembled with string re-assemblage requiring re-tuning of the instrument each time. What is more, many of the assemblies include costly materials and complex joints or string placement issues making them impractical.
There remains a need in the art for a guitar system and method that provides the ability to interchange guitar bodies with minimal manipulation of the instrument. Further, there exists a need in the art to provide the ability to construct a hybrid guitar, and deconstruct that same hybrid, in an easy manner so that a user has the ability to change the look and feel and sound of the instrument. Lastly, there is a need in the art for a guitar conversion system and method that provides for easy compact transport of the instrument.